One of the horror genre's "most widely read critics" (Rue Morgue # 68), "an accomplished film journalist" (Comic Buyer's Guide #1535), and the award-winning author of Horror Films of the 1980s (2007), The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia (2007) and Horror Films of the 1970s (2002), John Kenneth Muir, presents his blog on film, television and nostalgia, named one of the Top 100 Film Studies Blog on the Net.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Superman Week: Smallville (2001 - 2011)

Smallville (2001 – 2011) is the
longest-running superhero series in television history.

The
fact that this series ran so long also means that, to some extent, Smallville
managed to out-live the snarky criticism it faced at the very beginning of its
life, which compared the Superman “prequel” to Dawson’s Creek.

I still remember the early days when some
geeks termed the program “Dawson’s Cape, or "Kal-El’s Creek.”

In
truth, that comparison to another teen-centric WB hit series never exactly fit,
and Smallville
seemed to re-invent itself every couple of years, anyway.

Smallville began as a series that was part-Buffy
the Vampire Slayer (1997 – 2003) and part-X-Files (1993 – 2002) it
seems to me, since it focused on a team of adolescent “Scoobies" -- Clark
Kent (Tom Welling), Lana (Kristin Kreuk), Pete Ross (Sam Jones III) and
high-school reporter Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) -- investigating “Freaks of
the Week” from Chloe’s “Wall of Weird.”

In
this continuity, Clark arrived on Earth during a violent meteor shower, and
Kryptonite -- or “meteor rocks” -- not only affected him, but transformed
normal humans (and often high-school teenagers) into monsters with
super-powers.“Metamorphosis’ featured “the
Bug Boy” (Chad E. Donella), “Cool” featured a boy Sean Kelvin (Michael
Coristine) who could freeze anyone he touched, “Cravings” starred future Man
of Steel (2013) Lois Lane, Amy Adams, as a girl with the insatiable
desire to eat…everything, and so forth.

By
the time of the second season, however, the Freak of the Week paradigm became less repetitive, and the series started to focus on myth-building, on charting
Clark’s journey to manhood. Over the years Smallville became more confident of its identity as a more
traditional re-assertion of the Superman legend, one featuring a variety of villains
and heroes from DC comics, plus serialized story-lines of remarkable complexity
and maturity.

One
key aspect of the program that elevated it above mere rip-off of Buffy
or The X-Files was the on-going Clark/Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum)
relationship and dynamic. In this
universe, Clark and Lex become best friends for a time, but friends with
opposite -- and opposing -- destinies.
The series often brilliantly played these two men as mirror images in
terms of their choices and friendships, and even in terms of their family lives.

And the really great thing about Smallville’s long run is that it allowed a full exploration of
Superman’s youth, without racing rapidly through any particular stage or period. Even the great Superman: The Movie (1978) can't afford to linger, for long, on the Smallville interlude.

So the
first few seasons of Smallville involve Clark’s (Tom Welling) discovery of his
extra-terrestrial origin, and the development of such powers as his heat ray (“Heat”)
and X-Ray vision (“X-Ray”).

Meanwhile,
the third season involves the creation of the Fortress of Solitude in the
Arctic.

The
fifth season brings about the death of Clark’s adopted father, Jonathan (John
Schneider), and season seven introduces Supergirl (Laura Van Voort).

Finally,
Seasons 8 through 10 move Clark and Lois (Erica Durance) to Metropolis and to the
Daily Planet for the traditional Superman story we have come to expect in all iterations of the mythology.

Although
many times throughout the series, fans complained (loudly) about Clark’s slow
progress from adolescent to superhero, it’s also fair to state that there’s an arc and
direction to Smallville, and that by going chapter-by-chapter, stage-by-stage,
the series pays off in its high-flying 2011 conclusion (which features an inspiring, emotional reprise of John Williams’ “Superman March.”)

Also,
Smallville universally kept things interesting by introducing different
villains as yearly “Big Bads,” to co-opt Whedon nomenclature. Brainiac (James Marsters) menaced Clark
throughout Season 5. Doomsday (Sam Witwer) is the villain of Season 8. Major Zod (Callum Blue) is the nemesis of
Season 9, and so on.

Meanwhile,
the final three or four seasons also involve the incipient gathering of the Justice League,
with Clark teaming-up often with Aqua Man (Alan Ritchson), The Flash (Kyle
Gallner), Martian Manhunter (Phil Morris), Hawkman (Michael Shanks), Cyborg
(Lee Thompson Young), and series regular, Green Arrow (Justin Hartley).

Finally,
I would be remiss if I failed to note how thoroughly Smallville honors previous
Superman productions with meaningful guest roles for previous and beloved performers. Christopher Reeves has a recurring role early
in the series as Dr. Virgil Swann.
Terence Stamp (Superman II's General Zod) provides the voice of Jor-El in The Fortress of Solitude
throughout the series. Also, Dean Cain,
Teri Hatcher, Margot Kidder, and even Lynda Carter make crucial appearances throughout
the series’ run.

I know it is easy to
quibble with details or get frustrated with pacing, but it’s difficult for me to understand how fans could
not fall in love this modern Superman series, which demonstrates such tributes to the past, as
well as such an infusion of characters from the comic universe. Also, via the home scenes with Jonathan and Martha (Annette O'Toole) Kent, Smallville demonstrates genuine heart on a regular basis.

My wife and I binge-watched Smallville two years ago, and it was a great experience. I can certainly name some stinker episodes (like the vampire entry "Thirst"), but overall it's a grand and unforgettable -- and emotionally resonant -- re-boot of the Superman mythology.

About John

award-winning author of 27 books including Horror Films FAQ (2013), Horror Films of the 1990s (2011), Horror Films of the 1980s (2007), TV Year (2007), The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia (2007), Mercy in Her Eyes: The Films of Mira Nair (2006),, Best in Show: The Films of Christopher Guest and Company (2004), The Unseen Force: The Films of Sam Raimi (2004), An Askew View: The Films of Kevin Smith (2002), The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film & Television (2004), Exploring Space:1999 (1997), An Analytical Guide to TV's Battlestar Galactica (1998), Terror Television (2001), Space:1999 - The Forsaken (2003) and Horror Films of the 1970s (2002).

What the Critics Say...

"...some of the best writing about the genre has been done by John Kenneth Muir. I am particularly grateful to him for the time and attention he's paid to things others have overlooked, under-appreciated and often written off. His is a fan's perspective first, but with a critic's eye to theme and underscore, to influence and pastiche..." - Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files, in the foreword to Horror Films FAQ (October 2013).

"Hands down, John Kenneth Muir is one of the finest critics and writers working today. His deep analysis of contemporary American culture is always illuminating and insightful. John's film writing and criticism is outstanding and a great place to start for any budding writer, but one should also examine his work on comic books, TV, and music. His weighty catalog of books and essays combined with his significant blog production places him at the top of pop culture writers. Johns work is essential in understanding the centrality of culture in modern society." - Professor Bob Batchelor, cultural historian and Executive Director of the James Pedas Communication Center at Thiel College (2014).

"...an independent film scholar, [Muir] explains film studies concepts in a language that is reader-friendly and engaging..." (The Hindu, 2007)"...Muir's genius lies in his giving context to the films..." (Choice, 2007)